Obsessions, Part II

I need a new pair of shoes like I need a whole in my head. Even so, I may not be able to resist these.

These are a limited edition re-release of the 1965 original Vans Duke Alohas. They come in 5 colors and are also available as slip-ons.

Obsessions - Updated

Harry Potter

Where do I even start on this subject?

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

The book was wonderful. Very satisfying. I’ve heard some people say they don’t like the epilogue but I do, even if it is all a little too pretty and convenient. The whole Harry as Horcrux/prophesy/Voldemort’s spell rebounding on himself thing felt a little contrived to me, as explained in this article on Slate (although I’m not nearly as bothered by it as the article’s writer). What I did enjoy was all of the back story and connections. I also appreciate that with the epilogue and the killing off of so many characters(17 by my count, both good and evil), Rowling makes very sure that no one can try to pick up where she left off unless it's about the next generation. Snape is one of my favorite characters and while I was sad to actually read it, I knew that he had to die. Still, I'm glad that he remained complicated right to the end. And yeah for Neville the hero! Two things it would have been nice to know more about: the fate of the Dursleys and the arch that killed Sirius.

*** END OF SPOILER ALERT ***

Check out my flickr pictures from Friday's Harry Potter party:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9347435@N06/sets/72157601011915427/

And also go to this link for videos of NBC's exclusive and information interview with J.K. Rowling.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/18783376/

Books

Megan, you asked for recommendations of things to read now that HP is over. Well, you can always wait for the HP encyclopedia that JK Rowling is now promising. As far as other childrens’ books that have great characters and smart plotlines, I’d recommend The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart – there are rumblings that it may turn into a series. And Jon would recommend the A Song Of Fire And Ice series by George R. R. Martin. That’s probably my next big book project after I finish reading Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, by Julie Powell.

Shoes

I stumbled on a great new website for shoes last night. Endless.com. Even if you aren’t in the market for anything new you should take a few minutes to play around – it’s fun and addicting. And if you have an Amazon account, you can log in with it to create a wishlist. Currently on my list: BC Babycakes in pink. Oh yeah, and did I mention they have free overnight shipping and great prices? And for those of you interested in size 11s, they have 1795 options.


New Town

I’ve already told you how strange my new community is. Here are some other things I've discovered. I already knew that we have beautiful skies here in St. Louis but we have a wonderful view of them here. Why? Because we live in the flood plain of the Missouri River so there is nothing obstructing our view. Being in the flood plain also means that if there is ever another major flood like the one in '93, we're in trouble. Actually, that's not true, we are better off than most people in New Town - since our apartment is on the 2nd and 3rd floors we could just put a raft outside our living room window to escape, yet our things would hopefully stay dry above the water line. Another discovery - we basically live in the boonies, sticks, country. You'll see what I mean if you come for the luau. We are on the very northern edge of civilization. But that means we are only 10 minutes away from Illinois by ferry. Is that good or bad? You decide.

Blogs

I’d like to welcome my good friend Danielle to the wide world of blogging. She’ll be updating The Scott Spot with pictures of her precious children. Check it out when you get a moment – there’s a permanent link in the right hand column.

I Said I Wouldn't

I promised I wouldn't do it. I said never. Even when Clinton and Stacey told me to.

I blame Wendy. She told me that when your feet are as big as mine, the few millimeters that are added by the pointy toes makes no difference. So now I am the proud owner of these very cute, very uncomfortable shoes. Who knows what I'll do next? What else have I sworn I won't do? Is a tattoo soon to come?